VS5 01 Refusion Rewrite
by andrewjameswilliams
Summary: A rewrite of Refusion. Liam and the Taelons return from Ma'el's chamber to discover the mothership disabled and trouble brewing on Earth.


Refusion

****

Liam Kincaid watched as Renee Palmer, Street and Augur turned away from him and the regeneration chamber and raced away into the darkness of the passage to the surface and the shuttle beyond the entrance.  He knew that they didn't want to leave him here in Ma'el's regeneration chamber in the heart of a volcano that was about to explode but they knew that he could not get to them.  The force field that had activated around the chamber prevented him from leaving not that he had an intention of doing so.  He had to fulfil his destiny and now was his chance to do it.  The last chance he would ever have.  He hoped though that Renee and the others would be able to get away before Mount Karmenikov erupted which would be very soon now.

Earthquakes were shaking the mountain almost constantly now and the air was getting very, very hot as molten rock moved up the volcanoes throat towards the surface.  In minutes Karmenikov would erupt for the first time in centuries and erupt violently since the molten magma was trapped behind a plug of solidified lava and the pressure was building soon the lava plug would be expelled like a cork out of a bottle and molten rock and ash would surge up into the sky.

Liam turned away from the chamber entrance and without hesitation moved to the energy pool at the centre of the outer chamber.  Da'an, Vorjak and all the other Taelons and Jaridians had already gone into the regeneration cocoons in the other chamber – the two races united again at last in a final desperate attempt to save themselves from extinction.  Now it was time to begin, before the volcano erupted around them.

Picking up Ma'el's relic – the one part of the key to this whole procedure, with himself being the other part – Liam stepped into the centre of the energy pool.  But instead of sinking or painfully disintegrating as Zo'or had done when he'd touched the pool Liam just stood on it as if it were solid ground.  Quickly Liam placed the artefact on the floor at his feet and the artefact pulsed once then seemed to explode into a cloud of swirling light that formed a corona of energy around him.  And suddenly Liam knew what he had to do.  Extending his hands out to his sides Liam concentrated dismissing all thoughts from his mind and focusing exclusively on his task.

The energy pool below him abruptly rippled then flashed and transformed itself into a glowing cocoon of energy that completely enveloped him.  Liam could feel the regeneration chambers activate in response and within the chambers he could feel the individual energies of six Taelons and six Jaridians be released.

At that moment the most violent earthquake yet shook the mountain followed by a deep rumbling that abruptly gave way into a series of earth-shattering explosions that came so hard and fast that it sounded like one massive continuous blast.  Mount Karmenikov's eruption had begun.

Still Liam paid it no mind.  Feeling the Atavan energy of the pool surging through his body Liam concentrated all of his attention on guiding the flow of Atavan energy to the regeneration chambers and carefully beginning to join the energy to the Taelon and Jaridian energies in the chambers.  He could feel their energies starting to mingle with the pool energy and the synthesised Human DNA within.  Joining the energies was delicate work Liam knew full well that any mistake could be disastrous so he concentrated on the task harder than he had ever concentrated before.  Summoning such concentration was not easy with the horrendous noise of the eruption and the searing heat of exploding magma constantly assaulting his senses and with his basic survival instincts screaming at him to run, to escape before he was killed.  Even though escape was impossible and had been since he'd become trapped in this chamber a few hours ago now.

After what seemed like an eternity the procedure passed the point where it required any further input from him.  So Liam relaxed in the energy cocoon, which was shielding him from the worst of the heat of the erupting volcano.  As the energy continued to surge through him Liam became aware that it was affecting him as well.  How it was affecting him he wasn't sure but he could feel that it was but affecting him differently to how it was affecting the Taelons and Jaridians.  He didn't have time to think about it too much for at that moment a strange fuzziness enveloped his thoughts right before consciousness deserted him entirely and the world faded away in a blaze of brilliant white light.

*****

Taelon Mothership That Same Time 

Ronald Sandoval hurried down the deserted corridors of the mothership heading for the bridge.  Klaxons continued to wail throughout the ship calling the crew to battle stations - if the crew had been here.  All the Volunteers and drones had been sent planetside and those few Taelons still on their feet had - with the exception of Zo'or - absorbed the consciousness of their fellows and gone down to Ma'el's chamber, followed by the Jaridians.

Sandoval staggered as the mothership suddenly shuddered as another tactical nuclear warhead vented its destructive fury against her defence shields.  _Damn you Urick, he thought as he managed to regain his footing and continue to run down the corridor.  __You and your ANA pals are fools.  Don't you realise that the Jaridians are going to attack Earth and that this ship is the only thing capable of stopping them?  Why are you trying to destroy it?  Are you so blinded by arrogance and hatred that you cannot see the truth?  That Earth needs this ship to stop the Jaridians._

Naturally no one answered his thoughts.  His only answer was another thermonuclear blast against the shields shaking the ship with slightly more violence than the previous blast.  Sandoval skidded but managed to maintain his footing on the trembling deck.  He knew full well that the increasing strength of the shockwaves shaking the ship indicated that the motherships shields were starting to weaken under the strain of deflecting the energy of repeated thirty megaton nuclear blasts away from the hull and out into space.  _Just you wait till I get to the bridge Urick and get behind the weapons console,_ Sandoval thought as he kept running, he knew he didn't have much time.  Soon the shields would fall and then it would take but a single nuclear blast to completely destroy the ship.  _See how you like it when someone fires back at you,_ he thought thinking of where he would direct the blasts from the motherships disruptor banks.

Another detonation rocked the mothership and Sandoval was flung off his feet by the shaking.  Just down the corridor an internal bulkhead blew to pieces as power fluctuations caused by the blasts caused a power channel running behind it to rupture.  Sandoval shielded his head with his arms to protect it from the rain of fragments.

After a moment he got back to his feet and resumed his run to the bridge being careful to avoid tripping on the torn, blackened fragments of bioslurry that littered the floor that were all that remained of the blown bulkhead.  As he ran Sandoval decided that he was really going to make the ANA understand that they couldn't get away with this without consequences.  But unlike a certain Taelon – who'd basically gone bonkers – he wouldn't hit civilian targets like cities and the like.  Zo'or might not have hesitated to destroy a city or two full of Humans but unlike Zo'or Sandoval just couldn't do that.  Contrary to ANA and resistance propaganda he was not completely inhuman and without feeling.  He had no desire to be responsible for genocide on a scale not seen in decades.  He'd hit ANA military facilities like the launch sites and maybe use a pinpoint blast to destroy the Pentagon but that would be it.  And he wouldn't use full power.  At full power the motherships disruptors were fully capable of cracking the planets crust open with a single blow.  He would be careful and use just enough power to completely vaporise the bases.

Two more warheads exploded against the shields simultaneously shaking the mothership violently knocking Sandoval off his feet for the second time in as many minutes.  Sandoval waited for the shaking to ease a little before getting back to his feet and resuming his journey to the bridge.

The mothership was hit three more times before he made it to the bridge.  The third blast coming just as he crossed the threshold onto the upper level of the bridge.  Sandoval gripped a support beam to avoid being slammed to the deck, again.  On the far side of the bridge the communications console blew to pieces and a siren sounded from the weapons station.  _Shit,_ Sandoval thought racing to the main console instead of weapons.  That siren had been a shield corrosion warning – the shields were now so weakened that they would not be able withstand more than two or three more direct strikes.  And a glance at the tracking display revealed that nearly a dozen more US ICBM's coming towards the mothership from silos in the central United States.

Quickly Sandoval used Zo'or's energy signature to access the computer.

"Zo'or access confirmed," the computer voice said.

"Computer this is Agent Sandoval.  Target weapons upon the approaching nuclear missiles and destroy," Sandoval ordered.

"Unable to comply.  Power lines to weapons arrays severed by blast damage."  Sandoval swore under his breath.

"Computer transfer as much energy as possible to shields and engines," he ordered.  "Then lay in a course for Mars orbit."  Once they got out of close orbital space the mothership would be out of effective missile targeting range.

"Acknowledged shields now at forty percent capacity.  Course for Mars orbit set.  Interdimensional engines are off line, conventional propulsion only."

"Engage conventional engines," Sandoval ordered.  Almost immediately he heard a powerful humming noise as the conventional drive activated.  Through the virtual glass windows of the bridge Sandoval saw the ship begin to break orbit and head out into space.

But the ship didn't move quickly enough.  Three missiles slammed home before the ship left effective targeting range.  The multiple nuclear blasts rocked the ship violently.  Sandoval was knocked off his feet to slam into the deck with a bone-jarring thud.  Spark's and smoke shot out of consoles and access panels.  Damage warnings sounded.

"Damage report computer," Sandoval ordered getting back to his feet.

"Shields inoperative.  Conventional engines down to twenty-percent capacity, main power down on all decks due to damage to power distribution nodes.  Repairs in progress estimate one hour till main power is restored.  Warning high gamma radiation levels detected throughout ship.  Initiating emergency clean up procedures."  _Oh just great,_ Sandoval thought.

"Computer stop the ship over the moonbase," Sandoval ordered finally.

"Affirmative."

Sandoval looked around the bridge for a few moments.  At least on the other side of the moon they'd be out of missile range.  A wave of dizziness abruptly rippled through his head bringing along with it a momentary feeling of nausea.  Sandoval sighed.  He guessed that he'd just experienced the first symptom of radiation sickness.  Without any doctors onboard he had no means of getting help.  He knew his CVI would help him cope with it for a while but in the end he knew the radiation exposure would kill him without treatment.

Still he felt no sorrow at the thought of dying.  His life had really ended the day the first CVI had been put in his head.  And with all the things he'd done he had no chance of ever getting it back.  DeeDee hated him now - hated him as much as she had once loved him, his former FBI colleagues didn't like him either, and the resistance and the ANA reviled him.  His only regret was that he had never had the chance to meet his son, and now it looked like he would never meet him.

After a moment he sighed in resignation and left the bridge to go to his small sleeping quarters on board.  Once there he would record a message for that unknown son of his.  He doubted that the boy would ever see it but he would do so anyway.  And then he would record a message for DeeDee - and hope that she would at least listen to it and not delete it out of hand.  And then he would lay down to wait for his condition to deteriorate, as he knew it would.  Silently Sandoval vowed to himself that he would not die screaming in agony or bleeding from all orifices.  No before the radiation poisoning got that bad he would take his particle gun - which he had as a backup for his skrill - and take his own life.

*****

Renee's Apartment Washington DC 

Renee Palmer's luxurious penthouse apartment was in darkness.  All the lights had been deliberately turned off the only light source remaining was a single white candle burning on the lounge coffee table.

Lying curled up on the settee was Renee Palmer.  She had deliberately turned all of the lights off and had lit the candle because it reflected the darkness that now enveloped her soul and the light of the one that had secretly been everything to her.  The one who was now no more.  And that one was Liam Kincaid.

_Liam why did you have to insist on staying in the regeneration chamber,_ she thought feeling her eyes burn with tears, _you knew that mountain was going to blow and that when it did you would die.  So why did you stay?  The Taelons aren't worth your life._  She wished now that she had told Liam how she felt about him, really felt about him.  But she had been afraid to tell him.  Afraid what it could lead to.  Afraid to go beyond the point of being just friends with him.  She should have swallowed the fear and told him how she had really felt about him.  Should have told him the truth.  Told him that she loved him.  But now that he was gone that was impossible.  Again she had lost someone she loved and this time she had only herself and her stupid fear to blame.

Pulling her knees even closer in to her chest Renee hugged herself and did nothing to hold the tears back.  _Why didn't I tell Liam the way I felt about him,_ she asked herself, _if I had maybe he wouldn't have stayed in that volcano.  Maybe he would have stayed here with me.  My fault, his death is my fault.  Wait no its not.  It's Ma'el's fault.  What in the universe possessed him to build a regeneration facility inside a volcano?  Guess he wasn't so concerned with Human lives after all._

Her thoughts continued in that vein for sometime until finally she cried herself to sleep.

*****

Ma'el's Chamber Mount Karmenikov, Sometime Later 

Awareness slowly returned to Liam Kincaid.  The first thing he became aware of was heat and a strange wetness – the kind of warm dampness that you got in a sauna.  For sometime all he was really aware of was the dampness and the heat but slowly and surely more sense's came back to him.  He could smell sulphur and brimstone and could feel a hardness beneath him.  A hardness that was warm but not uncomfortably so.  _The floor,_ he wondered.

Then he could feel his body again and he immediately knew that something was different.  His body felt strange somehow – oh it felt like it had always felt but yet it _also_ felt different somehow.  It felt stronger and something else.  Something he couldn't quiet put his finger on.

Cautiously Liam opened his eyes, ignoring for a moment the sting of grit in his eyes.  The room was in almost complete darkness - some illumination still came from the light panels but most had gone out.  Steam was rising through some of the cracks in the floor and from below he could hear the sound of running water.  _Seawater must be leaking to the bowels of the mountain through a fissure opened during the eruption, he thought, __good thing it didn't hit the magma stream.  Karmenikov would have done a Krakatoa and blown itself – and us – to pieces if that had happened._

Sitting up cautiously Liam rubbed his eyes to get the grit out and feeling the fabric of his shirt stretch tightly against his skin as he did so.  _Hugh,_ he thought even as he got the grit out of his eyes.  Most of his shirts tended to be loose fitting – though he did have a couple of body hugging shirts – that always got him admiring looks from both girls and guys when he wore them and they got a good look at his muscles.   But he hadn't worn one of those coming here.  He'd worn a looser fitting one like he normally did so why was this one now feeling more like the tight fitting ones.  _Guess the heat and dampness in the air has shrunken it,_ he thought.  As he pulled his hands away from his face he abruptly felt a brief warm, tingling sensation in the palms of his hands.  It was a sensation he thought he'd seen the back of long ago.  _It can't be, he thought getting back to his feet.  Trembling slightly Liam opened his palms and studied them, sure enough in the centre of each palm he could see the faint diamond shaped discoloration that indicated the presence of shaqarava.  Cautiously Liam concentrated upon the shaqarava – he wasn't surprised when they immediately started to glow.  The glow wasn't that bright right now just the same as when Liam used them to reveal his true nature to the alternate Da'an in Maiya's world.  A thought and the glow brightened so that it seemed like miniature suns burned in the centre of his palms._  Guess I'm a hybrid again.  It seems that I can control these things now.  Oh great how are Renee and the others going to react to this.__

The faint sounds of movement behind him caught his attention.  Liam whirled and instinctively brought his shaqarava to bear on the glowing being approaching him.  The being froze.

"I hope you don't plan on using those on me Liam," the being said in a very familiar voice, a voice that lifted his heart.

"Da'an?" he queried.  Though it was hard to see in the gloom the being nodded affirmative.  Relief flooded through Liam and he lowered his hands and allowed the surge of energy within him to fade down to normal.

Da'an stepped into the brighter light cast by the few operational light panels remaining.  The Taelon didn't seem to have changed that much, though Da'an's energy glowed much brighter than Liam could ever recall seeing it glow before.

"Are you alright Da'an?"

"I am fine Liam.  In fact I feel better than I have felt in centuries."

"The other Taelons?"

"Are fine as well," Da'an assured him as he erected his familiar Human façade over his natural energy form.  "We all now have a full allotment of core energy with more to spare.  We have enough now to revive all of our sleeping brethren and to sustain our race for eons to come."

"And the Jaridians?"  A look of sadness crossed the Taelons face at the mention of the Jaridians.

"They perished I am afraid," Da'an replied.  "The differences between our two races were to great.  Ma'el apparently underestimated how incompatible we have become with each other.  But their sacrifice has not been entirely in vein."  He walked up to the edge of the energy pool, which had undergone a considerable change.  It was now glowing with a silver-blue light with some specks of green and gold thrown in.  "Their DNA has been added to this," he said looking down at the energy pool but being careful not to touch it lest he suffer the same painful fate as Zo'or.  "Perhaps together ourselves, Humanity and the Jaridians can find away to use this to synthesise the energy necessary to repair their own flaws."

"Somehow I doubt the Jaridians are going to agree to that," Liam pointed out coming to stand besides Da'an.  "You've been at war for a thousand years.  We know that the more extreme members of the High Command resented the cease-fire agreement that the Synod reached with the Imperial Council.  They won't hesitate to use the death of Vorjak and his crew to try and restart the war."

"I fear that you might be correct," Da'an admitted.  "I hope that the Jaridian Emperor and the Imperial Council are able to restrain the war hawks in the High Command.  I do not want to see the pointless war between us start up again."

"It would tragic," Liam agreed.  "The Taelon and Jaridian races were never meant to be enemies but brothers."

"I know but somewhere along the line we went wrong.  And hundreds of races have paid the ultimate price for that mistake."

Liam turned slightly as he heard the sound of more footsteps approaching.  The other five Taelons who'd taken part in the rejoining procedure were coming into the room.  Da'an turned with his protector and likewise saw his fellows enter.

"I think it's time that we left this place temporarily," Liam stated looking at Da'an.

"Yes," Ja'tan agreed.  "We can always send someone back later to retrieve the contents of the energy pool.  Do you know if there is any risk of the volcano erupting again major?"  
  


"I'm not a volcanologist Ja'tan I couldn't give you a reliable answer.  All I can say is that it is possible.  Explosive volcanoes like this one are notoriously unpredictable.  They can erupt once then go quiet for a few centuries or they can erupt regularly - like the Indonesian volcano Krakatoa does.  That particular beast has been erupting almost constantly since the great eruption of 1883 that destroyed the old island and produced one of the biggest volcanic explosions that Humanity has ever seen."

"Either way we should leave this place for now," Da'an reasoned.  "We have much still to do if we are to save our race.  And the first thing is to get aboard the mothership.  Is that ID portal still working Liam?"

Liam walked over to the portals control console and checked it.  Somehow he wasn't surprised to see that it was still working.  _That's Taelon engineering for you,_ he thought, _it can take a beating – like a volcano erupting around it – and still work._

"Yes it's still working and it will now allow out going transport," he reported after a moment.  "Portal co-ordinates have locked onto the mothership."

"Then let us leave," Da'an said walking over to the portal to stand between the arches.  The other five Taelons followed.

Liam started up the portal then quickly darted between the arches to join the Taelons.  The portal activated and the ID slipstream washed over them in a flash of blue light and they vanished from Ma'el's regeneration chamber.

*****

Taelon Mothership 

The moment the portal deactivated Liam knew that something was wrong.  The air on the mothership was cold - not frigid yet, but well below the temperature range that Humans and Taelons found comfortable - and was on the verge of going stale.  The corridors were in almost complete darkness; the main lights were out the only illumination coming from the walls of the ship and the odd pale emergency power light.

"What the hell has happened here," Liam wondered a puff of vapour accompanying every word.

"I don't know," Da'an responded.  "This should not have happened.  The mothership wasn't low enough on core energy for the main systems to be shutting down.  There must have been a big expenditure of energy on something for this to occur."

"Like the shields," Liam queried with a sudden lightness in his stomach as the distinct suspicion of what had occurred entered his thoughts.  Hubble Urick had carried out his threat and gone and fired nuclear missiles at the mothership.

"Yes," Ja'tan confirmed.  "Defensive shielding does require a considerable expenditure of energy in order to function effectively.  Why do you ask about the shields major?  Do you know something?"

"More of a suspicion," Liam replied knowing that the Taelons were not going to like this at all.  "Ever since they were formed I have made it a point to keep a close watch on the actions of the Atlantic National Alliance particularly at the actions of the leadership council.  They've been getting more and more anti-Taelon in attitude.  In particular the leader Hubble Urick."

"Yes we are aware of that," Ja'tan said.  "Agent Sandoval raised concerns with both Zo'or and the Synod about their increase belligerence on a number of occasions in the past few months."

"My guess is that Hubble Urick decided to finally take direct action against the Taelons," Liam said.  "At heart Hubble Urick is a coward - he doesn't like risking his own skin.  So he waited until you weren't hear to act against you - which would enable him to avoid retaliatory action."

"What do you mean Liam," Da'an asked nervously.

"I fear that he might have attacked this ship, probably with high-yield tactical nukes."

"What!" Ja'tan squeaked glowing brightly through his facade.  "He would dare to do such a thing.  That is an act of war."

"And highly illegal," Liam pointed out.  "The United Nations ruled years ago that the use of thermonuclear weapons is highly illegal and against the rules of civilised warfare.  Only twice have nuclear weapons ever been fired in anger and those were the first two at Hiroshima and Nagasaki back in 1945.  And the results were still being felt by the Japanese people right up to your arrival."

"Yes we know," Da'an replied.  "It is obvious that Mr Urick did decide to attack us in direct violation of numerous international laws."

"That wouldn't matter to Urick," Liam pointed out.  "The man is an extremist.  He would cut of his nose despite his face if it would get rid of the Taelons."

"Well this time he has gone to far," Ja'tan growled angrily.  "We should retaliate."

"I wouldn't advise it," Liam replied.  "You would only be killing innocent people if you fired upon Earth.  And if you were to shoot then it is almost certain that Urick would let fly with every single nuclear weapon remaining on Earth.  You would have hundreds of ICBM's and thousands of individual warheads coming at you in a massive onslaught that would ensure the destruction of this ship."

"We have no intention of attacking Earth Liam," Da'an assured his protector.  "The bulk of your people have never done us any harm."

"If you want to hit Urick back the best way is expose what he did to the world," Liam pointed out.  "The ships sensors should have recorded any attack with nuclear weapons clearly.  If we release such records to the media and if we can find evidence linking the attack to the ANA then the resultant public outcry could very well sweep the ANA away."

"Yes but how do we get such evidence," Ja'tan asked.  Liam smiled mysteriously.

"Leave that to me," was all he said.  Liam knew that Augur wouldn't be happy with the ANA's action and neither would Street.  He wasn't so sure about Renee - though he would like to think that she would not condone an attempt at genocide.  He would get in touch with them later and set them to work on getting him that evidence. 

"We should go to the bridge and assess the damage," Da'an said.  "Then awaken our fellows before proceeding with repairs and core transfer into the ship."  Everyone nodded in agreement and they left the portal station for the bridge two decks above and several sections forward of them.  Since the mothership was on emergency power the internal transport system would not be working so they would have to walk and use the emergency ladders to climb between levels.

*****

The bleeping of the computer console in his quarters awoke Sandoval from his sleep.  He'd set the internal sensors to monitor the portal system for any sign of anyone coming aboard.  Staggering to his feet ignoring with great effort the dizziness and pain stabbing at him from the radiation sickness that was steadily getting worse as the invisible poison ravaged his cells.  He hoped that it was the Taelons returning - not an ANA salvage squad here to take whatever useful technology remained on the mothership.  The Taelons would be able to heal him he was sure of it, but he wouldn't mind if it was the latter group of people that came aboard - he would attack them and give them no option but to kill him or be killed.  It would be an end to his current suffering.

Sandoval staggered over to the small computer station in his room and accessed the internal sensors - those few that were still functioning since the mothership was diverting almost all remaining power to the stasis deck and womb chamber.  Sensors reported seven additional life signs on board and heading for the bridge.  Six were energy based and would have to be Taelon the other wasn't and was therefore probably Human.  He couldn't tell properly since there wasn't enough power to the internal sensors.  But it was obvious who it was.  Kincaid and the Taelons were back. 

Flooded with a sudden sense of relief and hope Sandoval staggered over to the door - which he hadn't bothered closing and started half walking, half-staggering down the corridors towards the bridge.  Each step brought with it a lifetime of raw pain that his CVI wasn't completely able to block and Sandoval had tears of agony in his eyes as he staggered forwards towards the bridge.

*****

The bridge was intact but it looked strange - ghostly without the Taelon flight engineers and Volunteer crewmembers bustling around and without Zo'or sitting in the single chair at the centre of the command dais.  Liam still found it hard to believe that he would never see the cruel alien overlord again.  Zo'or was dead, killed by his own selfish desire to survive at the expense of his own people.  Personally he was not sorry that Zo'or was gone, but he was sad for Da'an's sake he hadn't tried accessing the Commonality yet but he didn't need to.  He'd known Da'an long enough to detect his emotions just by looking at him.  He could see the misery that Da'an was holding back.  Zo'or had been Da'an's child - and it was the loss of his child that Da'an was morning, to Da'an it did not matter that Zo'or had been a tyrant.

Liam walked over to the main console and called up a ship status schematic.

"No damage detected," he reported after a moment.  "There was some minor structural damage and moderate damage to control systems but the ship has repaired it all.  All remaining main power is being shunted to the stasis deck and womb chamber.  Emergency power reserves are down to twenty percent that's why life support and environmental control is slowly failing throughout the ship."

"That's a relief," Ja'tan stated.  "Any radiation detected?"

"No.  There were high levels of gamma radiation present consistent with multiple thermonuclear blasts of around forty megatons each.  Some of the radiation got through the shields but automatic cleanup systems have cleared it away.  The ships safe.  We're just dead in the water over the moonbase.  All propulsion systems are off line due to insufficient power.  Only manoeuvring thrusters are still working."

"Then we must begin our work," Da'an stated softly.  He was standing by the command chair but was reluctant to sit down in it.  Though he was now default leader of the Synod.  It didn't feel right to him yet - until the Synod confirmed him as leader he was reluctant to sit in the chair.

"We should awaken some of the engineers," Liam suggested.  "Then I suggest that our initial priority should be restoring power and life support.  According to these readings we have enough breathable air left for about a day before it starts to become toxic.  Also the manoeuvring thrusters only have enough power left for another twelve hours.  Once they run out we'll start to drift and be at the mercy of the gravitational pull of the Earth and the moon."

"Agreed," Da'an replied.

At that moment Liam heard approaching footsteps.  Wishing that he still had his sidearm Liam turned to the bridge entrance just as a familiar Asian male staggered through.

"Sandoval," Liam breathed.  Sandoval looked straight at him and Liam almost gagged when he saw the radiation scarring covering large areas of his skin disfiguring what had once been a very handsome face.  _God he must be in agony.  Yes I can see it in his eyes,_ Liam thought his anger at Hubble Urick rising again for the pain the mans actions were inflicting upon his father.  _You just wait till I get my hands on you Urick,_ he thought angrily, _when I get done with you, you will be begging for a quick death._

"Major," Sandoval responded his voice a harsh pained croak that was barely recognisable as Human.  "Hel… help me," he gasped out and then Sandoval's eyes rolled backwards in his head as he succumbed to the intense pain tearing through his body and collapsed into an unconscious heap.

Liam and all six Taelons stood over the unconscious man for a moment.  Horrified by his condition. 

"Take him to sickbay," Da'an ordered Liam after a moment.  He looked over at Mit'gai.  "Do what you can for him.  No one deserves to die this way."  Mit'gai nodded in agreement.  Liam gently picked Sandoval up and threw him over his shoulder in a fireman's carry wincing at the crack of burned skin under his fingers.

Quickly and carefully Liam left the bridge with his burden heading for sickbay - with Mit'gai following with as much haste as the Taelon could muster and thinking how he was going to repair Sandoval's radiation ravaged cells.  A regeneration tank would probably be the best course of action but it had never been used on Humans with such serious radiation burns before.  Mit'gai was unsure if it would be enough - but as Da'an had ordered that he do anything he could for Sandoval he would try.

*****

Renee's Apartment 

Renee Palmer was jolted out of her continued mourning by the sharp bleeping of her global – the one she used for resistance and ANA business.  Growling in irritation Renee marched over to the offending object and flicked it open.  To see a worried and angry looking Augur on the small screen.

"Sorry to disturb you Renee," Augur said softly thinking quietly to himself, _God she looks terrible.  Liam's death is really hitting her hard._  "But we have a very serious problem with Hubble Urick and the ANA."  Renee frowned.

"Now what is Urick up to," she demanded.

"The ANA has issued global arrest warrants Renee," Augur replied.  "Anyone and everyone who's ever worked for or with the Taelons are to be arrested and taken to special detention centres."

"On what charges," Renee demanded knowing full well that many of those who'd worked with or for the Taelons had been ignorant of what Zo'or and the bulk of the Synod were really up to.  They'd just been innocent but misguided people doing what they thought was right to build a better future for the Human race.

"On charges of crimes against Humanity Renee.  Even the lowliest clerks and interns are to be arrested and taken for questioning.  And Renee that's not the half of it.  I've also noticed that some of those to be arrested have never had anything to do with the Taelons but have criticised the ANA."

"What!" Renee practically yelled.

"The UN is throwing a fit over the arrest warrants but the ANA is ignoring them," Augur added.  "But the ANA is being clever its spin doctors are making sure that none of this is getting to the media."

"That does it," Renee growled.  "I'm going to go and make myself presentable and then I'll go and see Hubble.  Someone has to talk some sense into him."

"Be careful Renee," Augur said warningly.  "I wouldn't put it past Hubble to arrest you as well."

"He wouldn't dare," Renee replied.  "Not if he wants the support of Doors International for that presidential campaign he's planning."

Before Augur could say anything else over the global link the signal abruptly fizzled and disappeared.

"Augur, Augur," Renee said before giving the global a thump with the heel of her hand.  Nothing happened.  Either the global had lost the satellite signal or it was being jammed.

At that moment the door to her apartment crashed open and several men in black combat fatigues and carrying pulsed ion beam rifles charged into her apartment.

"Renee Palmer," the leader of the squad said.  "By order of the Atlantic National Alliance Leadership Council you are under arrest."

"That's ridiculous," Renee snarled.  "On what charge?"

"Treason and consorting with the enemy," the squad leader replied.  "Your dealings with the Taelons are proof enough of that."

"That was for the benefit of the resistance and the ANA," Renee argued.

"Save your lies you bitch," the squad leader replied before levelling his pulse rifle at her and firing a stun blast.  Renee flew backwards with the force of the ion beam and crashed into the far wall before crumpling in an unconscious heap at the foot of the wall.  "Take her," the squad leader commanded to his men.

Two men moved forwards carrying energy binders and placed the unconscious woman in them before one picked her up and slung her over his shoulder in a firemans carry.

Then the squad and their latest prisoner moved upstairs to the helipad where their transport was waiting.

*****

Sickbay 

**Taelon Mothership**

**A Short Time Later**

Liam Kincaid stood watching the blue tank in which his father had been placed.  Now that his clothes had been removed the full extent of his radiation burns were visible and Liam realised just how much pain Sandoval had to have been in.  _How could he stand it,_ he wondered, _even with the help of his CVI the pain he would have been suffering would have been horrendous.  It's a wonder he wasn't screaming in agony._

The sound of approaching footsteps caught Liam's attention and he recognised Mit'gai's footfalls.

"Have you been able to help him," Liam asked.

"I have done all that I can for him," Mit'gai replied.  "I have flushed his body clean of radiation but the damage to his DNA is quiet serious.  I believe that I have been successful in repairing the damage but I cannot be sure.  Only time will tell if the treatment has been successful.  I have never treated a Human with such a high level of radiation damage before - I do not know if I have been successful in repairing all of the damage.  What I cannot understand is why Mr Urick would behave in such a fashion."

"I cannot answer that question Mit'gai," Liam replied.  "As I said on the bridge Hubble Urick is an extremist.  He is determined to get rid of the Taelon race no matter the cost.  He doesn't except that Humans and Taelons need each other."

"But we have said that to your people many times," Mit'gai pointed out.  "Why does he not accept it?"

"Simple because none of you are Human.  Urick has become so xenophobic over the last few years that he doesn't believe anything any non-Human says.  Neither does the rest of the ANA leadership.  They don't even listen to other Humans who have different views to them.  They have become obsessed with destroying you.  And there is an old Human saying, which is incidentally the first rule of the fanatic.  When you become obsessed with the enemy you become the enemy."

"How very true," Mit'gai admitted.  "And it doesn't just apply to Humans.  It applies to us as well.  In many ways Zo'or's own fanatical behaviour has led to our current state with your kind."

"The fact that Zo'or didn't even try to understand Humanity did contribute towards our current difficulties that is true," Liam replied.  "His agenda and complete lack of subtlety in his approach to carrying it out played right into the hands of Hubble Urick and the extremists - it enabled them to point and say 'look the Taelons don't care about us.  We're just tools and playthings for them.  Support us and we'll stop them.'  The approach of his predecessor what was his name again?"

"Quo'on."

"Quo'on was much better.  Yes it served Taelon goals but it also served Human goals and served to keep the extremists out of power."

"Indeed it did," Mit'gai admitted.  "But Zo'or did swing the Synod - with the exception of Da'an - away from that approach.  And now look what it has gotten us.  A disabled ship and no public support or credibility whatsoever.  And there are now anti-Taelon extremists in power on Earth.  A power that if my admittedly limited understanding of Human history is accurate they will be reluctant to give up."

"How very true.  But they won't have much choice when I get through with them.  Once the evidence about the violations of international law and the attempted genocide of the remains of the Taelon race is revealed to the general population of Earth the ANA leaders will have no choice but to surrender power.  That is if they want to live."

"And once the ANA leadership is gone we can begin the long task of rebuilding a trusting relationship with Humanity."

"I don't know if that is possible now," Liam admitted.  "But we can surely try and make it work."  Liam looked towards the door.  "I better go now and get started.  Who knows what lies the ANA is putting out to strengthen their position.  If don't start getting the evidence together against them soon then they will win without us even putting up a fight."

*****

**Augur's Lair**

**A Short Time Later**

Augur sat quiet on one of the many couches in his lair beneath St Michaels Church.  Under any other circumstances it would have been nice to be back here in his home but not now.  He turned off his television and turned the computer to stand by mode so that he wouldn't have to listen to the news anymore or see what was going on with the ANA and what it was doing now.

Many of his former resistance colleagues were appalled by what was happening.  At least the more moderate ones - the hard-liners were gleefully assisting the ANA.  But there was little that any of them could do to stop the ANA.

Augur had never really liked the ANA anyway.  And now it was showing its true colours but most people unfortunately didn't see it - blinded by the ANA propaganda.  And unless proof of what the ANA was doing was exposed generally then they would never see.

The sound of the lift descending caught his attention.  Augur got up from the couch and went over to the computer to see who it was.  Before he got halfway there the doors opened and Augur froze as a ghost stepped through.

"Hello Augur," said Liam Kincaid.

To be continued….

___________________________________________________________________________

That's the end of this particular story episode.  Next episode coming soon.


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